Epic of a Rurouni
by Et-chan
Summary: Soujiro journeys with a young ninja girl throughout Kyoto helping her find lost memories, and trying to find his own truth in the process. COMPLETE: Soujiro finds the truth after a blood bath.
1. Haphazard

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.**

**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni

**By:** Et-chan

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language

**Summary:** What happens when a rurouni meets a kunoichi on a fateful day in Kyoto, Japan?

********

**_Chapter 1: Haphazard_**

  
Seta Soujiro brushed tresses of dark brown out of his bluish eyes, so they would not obscure his pleasant visage. He walked through the thick afternoon air like a turtle deliberately swimming through water. Today was a hot and dry day in the busy city of Kyoto, Japan. Soujiro did not mind the weather but the perspiration running down his pale face was somewhat of a nuisance. He fingered the collar of the long-sleeve shirt inside his light blue kimono uneasily as he continued to trudge on. The noise of shouting rose above the crowds which caused Soujiro to walk briskly to the scene.  
  


  
He gently shoved through the throng of people that were enclosing a scene.  
  


  
"Simasen," he mumbled for the fifth time as he pushed past one last person before finally getting a glimpse of the action. Soujiro gasped when he saw what the people hid. The men and women that were jeering completely ignored the gasp that escaped from Soujiro's mouth.  
  


  
Thugs were threatening a girl, according to the old man that stood near Soujiro. He told the Tenken what happened when he asked what was going on. It seemed that a young woman had stolen from a group of men. The young woman had cowered to a corner with her back against a building, clutching a small bag in her shaking hands. Soujiro also noticed that the men were very muscular and looked as if they broke a lot of faces with their fists.  
  


  
While the men continued to approach the woman menacingly, Soujiro glanced about himself quickly. _What should I do? Isn't there an officer around here?_ brooded Soujiro as his eyes searched through the crowds. He stopped his vain scrutiny when a scream exploded into his ears. One of the men grabbed the woman's arm, threatening to break it.   
  


  
Suddenly, Soujiro felt his feet stepping forward towards the scene. He couldn't stop himself from shouting indignantly at the men."Hey! You leave her alone!"  
  


  
The man dropped the girl like trash and swiveled around to face Soujiro. The other men in the group snickered as they eyed Soujiro.  
  


  
"We're only teaching this little thief a lesson, boy. Now run along and pester someone else," said the man who dropped the girl. His friends grinned and snorted when he called Soujiro, "boy."  
  


  
"Hmph, you think you can just push anyone around?" said Soujiro, his visage turned into a fiery dark blue. He gripped his wakizashi, the Kikuichimonji Norimune, which hung on his cloth belt with a slender hand. His hand shook furiously as he gripped the white hilt of the sword, thoughts swam in his head. _Is this the way...is this the path that I should follow? Is what I am doing right?_ wondered Soujiro while glaring malevolently at the men.   
  


  
"I don't wanna hurt you kid, but you really are getting on my nerves. You should be runnin' along now, or else I'll have to hurt ya," warned the man as his friends advanced on Soujiro who now stood in the middle of the scene that the crowd surrounded.  
  


  
"I'm not going anywhere. And you should be the one who's worried about getting hurt," retorted Soujiro in a calm but angry voice.  
  


  
It seemed obvious that the men were tired of Soujiro because one of them swung at him with a large left fist. His reflexes caused him to duck and evade the attack. With his left foot leading his right, Soujiro ran out of the circle of thugs. He quickly unsheathed the wakizashi that clanged at his side, the blade reflected the light of the fiery star that was the source of the heat in Kyoto. While the light danced drunkenly on the silver blade of the sword, he sprinted for the man who dropped the girl. Soujiro's body seemed to disappear because of the speed of his stride; he was moving too fast for the naked eye to register. A yell erupted from the man's mouth as the base of the sword hilt hit the man's sternum.  
  


  
The man sunk down to his knees, blood sputtered out of his mouth accompanied with fits of coughing. Soujiro then pointed the sword at the men behind him. The men seemed as baffled as the crowd.  
  


  
"You little bastard, I'll--" one of the men was interrupted by the voice of approaching Meiji Government officers.  
  


  
"Outta the way!" one of the officers shouted at by-standers, "What the hell is going on here?!"  
  


  
Soujiro quickly sheathed the Kikuichimonji Norimune and grabbed the thin arm of the thief girl. "C'mon, let's go before they see us."  
  


  
The girl slowly rose from the ground with Soujiro's hand still clasping her arm. They ran into the crowd and disappeared among the people, leaving the officers to interrogate the group of thugs.  
  


  
Soujiro led the girl to an alley between two restaurant buildings. He flattened his back on the wall of the left building and sighed. While in the cool shade, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his right hand that was clad in pale green tekko. He was relieved that he and the girl escaped from the Meiji Government officers and the relentless heat of the sun. He looked at the girl who stood across from him.  
  


  
"Are you all right?"  
  


  
"Hai, but why didn't you kill the man? Why did you just hit him with the hilt of your wakizashi?" she asked, curiosity filled every corner of her chocolate visage.  
  


  
Soujiro smiled. "A man once told me that killing people would not solve anything. He said that people should be given a chance to live so they could change their ways."  
  


  
The girl nodded slowly but in a puzzled way. "You could never teach that to a ninja like me."  
  


  
"You're a ninja?" inquired Soujiro, brows furrowed. He couldn't tell that the girl was a kunoichi or female ninja by her attire. He was used to the navy blue of the Oniwabanshuu, the ninja clan that resided in a restaurant called the Aoiya in a part of Kyoto. But this girl wore red and black. She was clad in kimono-like clothes that had sleeves and stopped at her thighs, revealing a dark rose tattoo. Black and red tekko, tabi, and plain slippers completed her outfit.  
  


  
"Hai. But unfortunately, I'm clan-less," she responded.  
  


  
"A clan-less ninja? How could you be clan-less?" he asked.  
  


  
The girl smiled ruefully. "I was abandoned by my clan. They left me with a doctor but I have no memory of them."  
  


  
"Didn't the doctor tell you about them?"  
  


  
"No, he said they didn't leave any names or anything."  
  


  
"Well, what do you remember?"  
  


  
"Nothing...nothing at all."  
  


  
Soujiro looked away, sensing that he might have asked the wrong thing. The sound of approaching foot steps and loud conversations could be heard. His head shot back at the girl.  
  


  
"I think the officers are coming," he said to her.  
  


  
"But if we stay here, they won't find us," she said while gazing out into the streets.  
  


  
"I don't want to take any chances," whispered Soujiro as the foot steps seemed to get louder.  
  


  
He grabbed her hand and quickly sprinted down the alley to the other side of the street. The heat and the bright sun overhead greeted them as they stepped out of the alley. Soujiro glanced around and saw an officer point at him. It wasn't the officer that stopped the fight but a different one. The officer probably noticed the wakizashi that Soujiro wielded. In Meiji Era Japan, it was illegal to carry swords; proving that the Era of the Samurai had ended back at the Bakumatsu ten years ago.  
  


  
Soujiro pulled the girl along with him as he raced down the street, accidentally bumping into people because he was not paying attention to where he was going. As he repeated "simasen" when he bumped into people, thoughts pounded his brain. _What now?!_ Soujiro screamed silently at himself. He suddenly felt the kunoichi jerk at his light blue kimono.  
  


  
"This way!" shouted the kunoichi. With a handful of kimono, she pulled Soujiro into a restaurant. The shoji screen door of the restaurant was open because of some women leaving which caused them to bump into the people. He felt sick as his attention was now averted to the ground that he lay on.  
  


  
Soujiro looked up at the glaring people. "Gomen nasai! We didn't mean to bump into you."  
  


  
"Do watch where you are going," one of the women said to them in a stern tone.  
  


  
Soujiro laughed uneasily and scratched the back of his head while they left. One of the waitresses approached Soujiro and the kunoichi while they still sat on the ground.  
  


  
"Welcome! Allow me to lead you to your seats," the waitress said pleasantly.  
  


"Arigatou," Soujiro said politely to thank the waitress. He got to his feet quickly. To his surprise, the kunoichi gripped his hand firmly and rose off of the ground too. He saw her grin at him, he couldn't help but grin back. So they followed the waitress hand-in-hand to their table.  
  


  
They sat down on the comfortable mats that accompanied the low table that was used in all Japanese restaurants. Soujiro ordered a bowl of rice with green tea while the kunoichi ordered soba noodles. The waitress came back soon with their food and left to accommodate other people that entered the restaurant.  
  


  
After eating most of their food, Soujiro remembered one last thing he forgot to ask the girl.  
  


  
"I don't think I told you my name yet. I'm Seta Soujiro, what's your name?" he said with a smile.  
  


  
The girl shifted nervously in her seat. "I can't remember but I must be going. Sayonara Soujiro, I hope to see you again someday."  
  


  
"Ja ne, I'll take care of the bill," he said as he watched her leave the restaurant. The waitress came to Soujiro and told him the price he had to pay. He reached inside his kimono, using his fingers to search for his small sack of money. But he did not find it. He frowned, the kunoichi had pick-pocketed him.  
  


  
"Gomen nasai, but I seem to have lost my money," he said in a low voice to the waitress.  
  


  
She did not look pleased at all.  
  


********

  
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Plenty more to come..soon, I think ^^; Also, if you're having trouble with some Japanese phrases or words then just say so in your review, I'll e-mail you the glossary of the story since I'm not intending to actually add the glossary as a chapter. Thanks for reading!  
  



	2. Death Wish

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.**

**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni

**By:** Et-chan, the Disgraceful One

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language

**Summary:** Can Heaven find a way to forgive a thief?

********

**_Chapter 2: Death Wish_**

  
An uneasy laugh found its way out of Seta Soujiro's throat as a waitress hurriedly shoved him out into the streets of Kyoto.  
  


  
"Next time, make sure you can pay for your meal!" she shouted at him. She then quickly turned and slid the shoji screen door of the restaurant shut with a violent snap.  
  


  
Soujiro scratched his head in an embarrassed way as heads of passers-by turned his way. Since the ninja he met had pick pocketed him, he had no choice but to pay for his meal by washing dishes with the restaurant staff. The scent of soap and food had engulfed Soujiro's nostrils then. The air was thick with moisture and it was also musty with too many people being crammed in one place. He was relieved that he got finished with his pile soon because he didn't want to die from excessive heat and the scent of unwashed skin.  
  


  
He stopped thinking of the horrid dish-washing and rose off of the dirty ground. His eyes gazed up at the sky solemnly. A mellifluent mixture of orange, pink, purple, and yellow accentuated the departing sun that would return to watch over the historical city of Kyoto like an angel in the transcendent sky. The warm air stopped lingering like a contagious disease and was replaced with a cool wind that whistled with a melodic tone through the vicinity.  
  


  
Soujiro tore his eyes away from the sky and looked about him. _Where do I go now?_ He brooded while the zephyr that speeded by caused ripples through his loose attire. He frowned; _I can't go into an inn because I don't have any money._ He sighed in unison with the breeze and began to head north where he would soon meet the menacing facade of a forest.  
  


********

  
A forest was never the safest place at night but Soujiro's heart instructed his mind as if saying, _"This is your path, Soujiro."_ The Kikuichimonji Norimune clanged at his side as he sauntered deeper into the cryptic forest. He gripped the hilt of the wakizashi to silence it because he felt the presence of people about him. His eyes scoured through the forest, squinting every now and then to see any signs of movement in the green darkness. His keen ears caught the sound of water splashing to his right. With feet creeping and heart pounding, Soujiro sauntered as stealthily as a ninja to where he expected the noise to have erupted from.  
  


  
A scream accompanied the splash as he began to scamper up a tree to see the people better. While in the safety of the rustling tree tops, he saw that the kunoichi he met earlier was being held by the men she had stolen from.  
  


  
"What's this? Money you stole from someone else?" said the thug that Soujiro had gutted in the stomach earlier. He opened the girl's yukata a bit and snatched the money that rubbed against her stomach. The other man that held her yanked her away so she wouldn't try to get the money sack back. The man tossed the bag in a gleeful way in the air, the coins inside it clinked against each other in an appeasing way.  
  


  
"Well, now I have my money back. But before we let you go, we should have some fun with you," the man said. He was grinning from ear to ear, showing off unpleasant yellow teeth. He grabbed her clothes, threatening to tear them off.  
  


  
Without thinking, Soujiro leaped off of the tree and smacked the Kikuichimonji Norimune's scabbard across the face of the ruthless thug who grabbed at the girl's outfit. The man automatically released her and fell to the ground in a pathetic heap. Soujiro pulled the kunoichi close to him. In a swift motion, he whirled around the girl and used the dull side of the wakizashi to attack the man that held her. The man screamed in pain and crumpled to the ground like worthless paper.  
  


  
"Does anyone else want to kiss the ground?" Soujiro asked coldly, his eyes narrowing into those of a batousai.  
  


  
The few men who were still standing shook their heads fervently, sweat that was infused with fear dripped down their lurid faces. A murmur that sounded like "Tenken" escaped from one of the horrified men.  
  


  
With his blue gaze still piercing through their very souls, Soujiro quickly regained his sack of money from the man that was shifting and cowering on the ground.  
  


  
Soujiro sheathed his wakizashi and smiled pleasantly at them."Good, now get out of my sight and never bother this girl again. Or else you shall feel Tenchuu for the rest of your days."  
  


  
The men helped up their comrades and left quickly.  
  


  
Soujiro turned to where the girl stood, that perpetual smile still glowing on his handsome face.  
  


  
"Hey, wait!" he called after the kunoichi when he noticed that she was running off into another portion of the towering, verdant forest.  
  


********

  
Sorry 'bout that, I began to procrastinate since I was too lazy to hand-code this chapter sooner. Chapter 3 will be up very, very soon (hopefully). ._.;  
  



	3. Rueful Rain

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.**

**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni

**By:** Et-chan, the Abnormal

**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance

**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language

**Summary:**What can the rain conceal or maybe reveal?

****

**_Chapter 3: Rueful Rain_**

Branches scraped at Soujiro's face and clothes as he sprinted after the girl. He did not use his super agility to catch up with her, it was almost as if he enjoyed this coquette cat-and-mouse game."Why are you walking away from me? I saved you from those men and you aren't even grateful," complained Soujiro as he literally stomped after her. He was never really angry, frustrated could describe his feelings for the kunoichi.She swiveled around to face him, her eyes blazing with anger. Soujiro stopped walking forward and stood quite still almost as if she had some kind of projectile that would hit him if he flinched."Why did you save me?" she asked; her voice was not pleasant at all."So you're saying that I shouldn't have stopped them from trying to rape you?" countered Soujiro. He smiled at her almost as if he were mocking her unintentionally."Shut up, ahou. I'm perfectly capable of handling lowly thugs like them," she said indignantly."Well, it didn't look like it," said Soujiro, the smile was still on his face. He obviously did not know that she was upset by his charming smile.The girl said nothing else back to him and turned. She was beginning to saunter away from him but she felt Soujiro's friendly hand on her shoulder."Gomen, I was just trying to help you," he said warmly, "A man once told me that it was the strong's obligation to protect the weak. But another man said that the strong survive and the weak die.""Are you saying that I'm weak?" whispered the girl slowly.Soujiro laughed uneasily, his eyes were snapped shut from embarrassment. "Oh, no! I didn't really mean it that way!"The girl sighed."But who's words do you believe, Seta-san?"He felt a bit alarmed at being called "Seta-san" but he answered her question after some thought."Hmm…I'm not sure.""How can you not be sure?" she asked in a puzzled voice."Well, I respected and admired both of the men who told me their truths. And I've become a rurouni to search for my own truth."The girl said nothing after that. She softly shrugged Soujiro's hand off of her shoulder and began to trudge away from him, heading in the direction of a faint metallic glimmer in the distance.Soujiro followed the kunoichi silently. They stopped when they reached the glorious silver sheet that was a lake. Soujiro felt that his shoulder was damp so he looked up to the dark blue sky. A light drizzle of rain was falling on the woods, sending out a call of narcissistic attention around his surroundings. The calmness of the lake was disturbed by the rain that rushed into its silver waters. A sigh and the faint splash of water broke the loud silence of the rain.The kunoichi had her hand in the water."I'm searching for something too, Seta-san.""And what might that be?" asked Soujiro as his suave gaze fell on her."The clan that left me."Soujiro looked at her, a surprising feeling welled up inside him and sparkled in his gaze. "Do you have any idea why they left you?"The girl sighed again. "Maybe they didn't need me.""Oh, you shouldn't say that. They probably needed you very much," Soujiro reassured her as he sat down next to her on the very edge of the lake.An uncomfortable silence hung like a vapor above Soujiro's head as he sat next to the girl. He wanted to speak to her but whenever he turned to her, she looked lost and far away as if the rain drowned the vicinity to bring her to another dimension.Tiers of pale pink curled up into a smile on Soujiro's face as the thunder above rumbled and brought down heavier showers of rain. The rain shifted through his dark brown locks as it made its way down to his eyes. The water streamed down his eyes like tears which caused him to quickly rub them away in shame. He turned his head slowly to look at the kunoichi and to his surprise, real tears flowed down her cream-colored cheeks."Seta-san, why do you think they left me? Was I too weak to be a ninja?" she sobbed.Soujiro smiled ruefully, brooding about why she asked him. "I don't know, but it's all right to be weak.""I know what it's like to be weak; to not be able to protect yourself. When the words 'the weak die and the strong survive' were engraved into my heart, it gave my soul new life. Those words gave me an unshakable will to live; I became stronger so that I would not be prey for the strong. But when those words were proved false, I tried so hard to deny it but I knew deep inside that they were not right. Now, I'm trying to find another truth to engrave into my heart next to the words of Hitokiri Batousai and my Shishio-sama," continued Soujiro, whose eyes looked past the woods and the gray rain that fell from the heavens."Hitokiri Batousai…was he the one who told you not to kill the weak?" the girl asked while the rain cleaned her face of tears."Hai," Soujiro nodded, "And he proved Shishio Makoto-san's theory incorrect.""I've heard of the name Shishio Makoto but I can't remember who he was or what he did," said the kunoichi as she mused.Soujiro couldn't help but smile."I saw him as a great man because he saved my life. But others saw him as a horrible man because he plotted to burn all of Kyoto."The kunoichi's eyes widened."Burn all of Kyoto?!"Soujiro sighed."Hai, but he's dead now.""That must make you sad, Seta-san. You call him 'Shishio-sama' and he saved your life so he must have been someone dear to you," she said dejectedly."It makes me sad but I try not to dwell on the past so much. And you should be looking for memories of the future to make up for those you lost," he said while smiling at her.She sighed but it was inaudible because of the thunder that roared through the dark sky."I know but I want to know who I am and I want to find where I belong.""I will help you find your clan then," said Soujiro without really thinking much about the effect of his statement."Why would you want to help me?" she asked, baffled.Soujiro lifted his hand from his lap and gently wiped away a tear that was slowly gliding down her cheek with his finger."It's okay to cry sometimes but I think your face would be much more beautiful with a smile."He stood up and offered his hand to her so they could get beneath the shelter of a tree."I know you don't have a name so I think the name 'Yuki' would suit you because you seem as pale as the snow."She took his hand and rose off the damp ground. When she was on her feet, she gave Soujiro an unexpected but coquette grin."Arigatou, Seta-san. I don't know what I'd do without you here with me," she whispered a little shyly.Soujiro returned Yuki's thanks with a suave smile of his own. While still clasping her hand, he led her through the harsh rain to the dryness beneath a tall tree.

****

Geez, English Honors is really killing me with the work load...but AP next year will be even worse. So yeah, that's the explanation of the long absence of my epic..er Soujiro's epic. Thanks to moguera for clearing up the Kikuichimonji Norimune sword mess, now I can go beat up the person who told me it was a wakizashi! :D 


	4. Itachi musume and Jiya

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.  
**  
**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni  
  
**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language  
  
**Summary:** Soujiro and Yuki visit the Aoiya, the restaurant of the notorious Oniwabanshuu.  
  
_They were once greatly feared but now things differ,  
They were once the great snake but now they lost the ruthless slither,  
They were once ruled by a man but now by a girl,  
They would never expect to have the Tenken re-enter their world._

- - -  
  
**_Chapter 4: Itachi-musume and Jiya  
_**  
Yuki managed to talk Soujiro into going back into the dreaded city Kyoto. Soujiro told her that that idea was unwise because they would most likely be reprimanded by the Meiji officers if they were seen again in the city.  
  
Yuki laughed. "Are you afraid of the Meiji government?"  
  
Soujiro mused for a bit. "Well, I wasn't when I was with the Juppon Gatana."  
  
"Juppon Gatana?" Yuki was puzzled.  
  
Soujiro smacked his forehead because of his sheer stupidity. "I forgot, I didn't tell you about the Juppon Gatana. Well, they were Shishio- sama's group of warriors."  
  
"Ah, and were you the best?" asked Yuki with a coquette smirk on her face.  
  
Soujiro pulled at his collar uncomfortably. "I wouldn't say that but many people would consider me the best of the Juppon Gatana."  
  
Yuki only smiled at his response and they continued sauntering back to Kyoto beneath the light gray sky. The morning air was cool because the sun had not transcended to its position above yet. Soujiro enjoyed this temperature. The pleasant rush of wind swept over his hair causing the dark brown tresses to sway and dance. The nice climate would soon be disrupted by the sun, ready to sweep the streets of Kyoto with an emphatic heat wave.  
  
"Where should we go now?" Yuki asked through a mouthful of rice.  
  
"After we eat, we can look for your ninja clan. They must be somewhere in Kyoto but it would help if you had your memory," replied Soujiro. He took a sip of his green tea and made a face.  
  
Yuki noticed it. "Anything wrong?"  
  
"This tea...it's horrible," rasped Soujiro. The tea was extremely bitter and whoever made it obviously had their attention elsewhere. But he had never eaten at this restaurant, the Aoiya, before. The bad tea was the explanation for why they did not have many customers.  
  
"I hope you're all enjoying your food!" shouted a voice from behind Soujiro, "You two are the only customers we've had today."  
  
Soujiro turned around and almost dropped his tea mug. A girl that looked to be around sixteen stood there beaming. She wasn't the waitress that serviced Yuki and Soujiro, but she did look familiar. He thought he saw her face during the Kyoto trials, she could have been one of Himura Kenshin's allies. Her jet black bangs bunched about the right side of her face while they weren't as numerous on the left side. Turquoise orbs of fire were her eyes; a reflection of her boisterous attitude. The rest of her face was slender and slightly pale in complexion. The girl was clad in a faded cobalt blue jimbei that was bordered with a soft lavender color. Plain brown slippers were on her bandage-wrapped feet. A smile danced on her lips while she watched them eat.  
  
"I've never seen this restaurant before, is it new?" Yuki asked as she set her bowl down.  
  
"No, we've been around for a while. You probably haven't been to this part of Kyoto a lot," replied the girl who looked baffled.  
  
The restaurant worker averted her attention to Soujiro, her brows furrowed as if she were in deep thought. "Haven't I seen you before?"  
  
"I think I've seen you before too," said Soujiro, "Weren't you accompanying Himura Kenshin when he went to oppose Shishio Makoto?"  
  
The girl slammed her hands on Soujiro's table, sending the mug and bowl toppling off the table. "Hey! Just who the hell are you?!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't think asking that would offend–" Soujiro started but was interrupted by another voice.  
  
"Misao-chan, what's going on?" An old man approached from a door that most likely led into the kitchen because the smell of food erupted into the room.  
  
"Jiya! This baka here asked me about Himura and Shishio Makoto!" she emphasized the name "Shishio Makoto" as if it were a crime to mention that name in a normal conversation.  
  
"Soujiro-san was just asking Misao-san if she was friends with this Himura Kenshin fellow," Yuki said patiently.  
  
"Hai, we are very good friends with Himura. But what about him and Shishio?" interrogated the old man, the one Misao fondly called "Jiya."  
  
"Misao? Hai...that's right. You were there in my first battle with Himura-san. Do you remember?" Soujiro asked, his eyes looking up at her innocently.  
  
"Hai, weren't you the boy with the speed that rivaled Himura's?" inquired Misao.  
  
Soujiro nodded slowly.  
  
"What is your name? I think I might have heard it before but I don't seem to remember," the old man said to Soujiro.  
  
"My name is Seta Soujiro and this is my friend Yuki," he pointed to Yuki as he said her name and she grinned at them.  
  
"I am Okina, senior member of the Oniwabanshuu," the old man said.  
  
"The Oniwabanshuu?" asked Yuki puzzled.  
  
"It's a ninja clan," explained Soujiro, "And Okina-san must be the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu."  
  
"You think that old geezer is the leader?! I'm the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu!" growled Misao.  
  
Okina shook his head and frowned at Misao's comments. It seemed he had experienced her indignant comments frequently so he stayed silent.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Soujiro smiled at the agitated Misao, "You're pretty young for being an Okashira."  
  
"Yeah...well it's a long story, and I don't really want to recall it," said Misao who seemed to be talking to the table near her feet. Her voice was distant as if she were musing about something unpleasant while she spoke.  
  
"This is a funny question but have you lost any ninjas lately?" asked Yuki fervently.  
  
"What do you mean?" Misao raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Have any of your members gone missing?" Yuki rephrased her question.  
  
"No...Kurou, Shirou, Okon, Omasu, and Jiya are all here," answered Misao who still looked a bit baffled.  
  
"Y'see, Yuki is asking you that question because she lost her ninja clan," explained Soujiro.  
  
"Don't you remember where their base or headquarters is?" Misao asked the kunoichi.  
  
"No, I lost my memory too," Yuki whispered ruefully.  
  
"Oh, you have amnesia then?" said Okina.  
  
"Hai, it makes me really mad," said Yuki while she struggled to smile.  
  
"Well, there's been a ninja clan threatening us for a while. Maybe you belong to them," said Misao who shrugged.  
  
"Let's hope not," chuckled Soujiro.  
  
During the night, Soujiro and Yuki decided to wander about Kyoto. The dark night sky looked like a blanket that was embroidered with sparkling stars that were its jewels. The sky was quite tranquil and nice to look at, sending a wave of calmness over the watcher even though the city around them buzzed with life like a hectic hornets' nest. A sigh escaped Soujiro's mouth as he looked at the weapons lined out on a table belonging to a sword merchant. They reminded him of his beautiful Kikuichimonji Norimune that was broken in his fight with Himura Kenshin. He watched the weapons dreamily, not wanting any of them but they all seemed to appeal to his eyes. Yuki, on the other hand, was eyeing the weapons like a child in a candy store which alarmed Soujiro a little since he knew what thieving ninjas might do to obtain what they desired.  
  
Yuki had reminded him of Okina's invitation for them to have dinner at the Aoiya so they headed there after looking at another batch of sparkling weapons. When they arrived there, they deliberately backed away from the scene that seemed to have stirred before their arrival. They hurried behind a building, peering out. Makimachi Misao, the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, was wearing a different outfit accompanied with kunai or throwing knives in the spaces between her dainty fingers. Misao, Okina, and four other people were surrounded by a group of people who greatly outnumbered them.  
  
"What's going on?" whispered Yuki.  
  
"I think those are the ninjas that Misao wanted us to talk to but–," Soujiro stopped when a yell erupted from the fighting.  
  
"KANSATSU TOBI KUNAI!" Misao yelled as she hurled a kunai at one of the enemy ninjas.  
  
The ninja caught the kunai between his fingers and laughed at her as if she were a child trying to hurt a grown man like him. Misao grimaced and seemed to inch closer to Okina.

- - -

It bothered me that my epic wasn't one long poem, so I guess I'm just going to add a small summary poem before the story starts. 


	5. Things that go Slash in the Night

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.**  
  
**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni  
  
**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language  
  
**Summary:** Soujiro and Yuki witness the moonlit battle between the Oniwabanshuu and their rivals, the Kishuu Ninja Clan.  
  
_Ninjas set the dark sky alight with fights,  
Causing the rurouni to watch with inevitable fright,  
But something lurks like Death's kiss,  
Could a wolf be in their midst?_

__- - - -  
  
**_Chapter 5: Things that Go _Slash_ in the Night_**

**__**  
  
The male ninja that effortlessly caught the young Okashira's kunai tossed the small dagger to the ground, where its point punctured the soil grimly. He grinned in an almost malevolent manner, leaving Misao to gawk and stammer behind Okina who stood like a statue. Then, the ninja spoke to her slowly and clearly, poison rolling off his tongue and perfuming his breath. "Give in little girl. You don't want your friends to get hurt, do you?"  
  
It seemed as if Misao growled at his rude remark because she gritted her teeth and a noise rumbled deep within the muscles of her vocal cords. Her dainty hands swiftly reached into the back of her sash, searching (or feeling) for more of the deadly kunai. When she fitted as many of the kunai in the spaces of her fingers as she could, she suddenly had eight kunai per hand. She then hurled them towards the enemy ninjas violently, each thrown dagger expressing her mood at the moment. To her dismay, a small amount of the kunai actually connected with targets. Two of the seven enemy ninjas were injured by the daggers that stuck to their outfits, causing blood to stain those areas. The male ninja that had caught her kunai before had caught some of the kunai thrown in his direction, while he furiously batted away the others near his ninjas with the ninja sword he had quickly unsheathed. He was obviously their okashira since his stature and skill proved him the most boisterous, and also the best of the other ninjas. Misao glanced to Okina and then looked back at her enemy with a piercing blue glare.  
  
"Jiya, please go find Aoshi-sama," she said calmly to Okina.  
  
He hesitated, looking at her in a concerned way. "But Misao-chan—"  
  
"Just go! Now!" she shouted, her eyes not leaving the okashira of the enemy ninjas.  
  
Okina sighed and hurried down the trail behind them.  
  
Soujiro cringed as he watched the ninjas collide into battle. He gave a helpless look to Yuki who was watching in awe.  
  
"I've...I've seen that style of fighting," she said as she watched awestruck.  
  
"You mean Misao-chan's style? That's Kempo," he replied.  
  
"No, the other style. The style belonging to the ninjas that challenged them," she said while shaking her head.  
  
"Do you know what it's called?" Soujiro asked while giving her a puzzled look.  
  
The kunoichi shifted a little, and continued to peer at the fighting while her digits clasped the building they hid behind. "Umm...I'm not sure, it just looks so familiar. It's like I already know what they're going to do next from what attack they use."  
  
"Then we should go help Misao-chan!" Soujiro whispered fiercely, "Her group is outnumbered!"  
  
Yuki's pale tiers shifted into an awkward smile. "Yes, but the other ninjas only have three more people."  
  
"But that's not fair! We should do something!" Soujiro said and rose from his post, unsheathing his katana.  
  
Yuki grabbed his shoulder, tugging him away from being exposed to the eyes of Misao and the ninjas. "No! We'll be shaming them if we do. I'm sure whoever Okina-san's finding is going to be of some use to the Oniwabanshuu."  
  
Soujiro almost dropped his sword when he noticed the crushing fall that Misao took when she was kicked in the side. He saw Misao crawling away from her pursuer, who was the okashira of the enemy ninjas. The ninja kicked Misao's ribs again as she held her stomach and tried to retreat. Blood spilled out of her mouth and her lips where shiny because they wore the crimson luster of blood. The enemy okashira laughed cruelly as he watched her agony. Soujiro looked at Yuki, almost as if saying "can we help them NOW?!"  
  
Soujiro soon noticed that Yuki was not looking at him, but looking into the darkness of the alley. Footsteps greeted their ears that seemed far away but was coming closer and closer, and also emerging from the shadows. A tall, thin figure wearing the usual navy blue outfit of the Meiji government officers could be seen beneath a lantern that ended the darkness but could not suffuse through some of the shadows. The only thing that was bizarre about the officer is his left hand held a Japanese sword instead of a gun. Soujiro held his breath; he knew he was still holding his katana and that he would be in big trouble soon. When the figure's face was revealed, Soujiro felt as if the officer seemed familiar but he could not hide the fear that swept over his visage. Some of the officer's hair was sleeked back while some stray tresses fell on his pale forehead. Below the forehead were callous dark eyes that were narrowed malevolently. The officer's thin lips curled into a sort of smile when he saw Soujiro and Yuki near the edge of the building. His feet stopped abruptly when he reached them, but he said nothing, the smile still plagued his face. It seemed as if an eternity passed while Soujiro and Yuki stared at the officer in a frightened fashion. Suddenly, the officer passed them to walk out into the ninja scene. Soujiro and Yuki watched the man saunter in the middle of the turmoil, shoving ninjas that bumped into him to the ground.  
  
"I should have guessed all of that commotion the residents spoke of was only the infamous Oniwabanshuu and their Itachi-musume," the officer said in a taunting voice but flat voice.  
  
"Saitou!" Misao lifted her face from her sandy coffin in the ground.  
  
"Saitou Hajime! I knew I've seen him before, but I guess my fear caused me to forget his name," Soujiro said in an embarrassed but low tone to Yuki.  
  
Saitou Hajime eyed Misao with distaste and then his gaze averted to the okashira of the enemy ninjas. He grinned evilly as he saw the ninja hurry into a defensive stance.  
  
"Stop that, you don't want to get hurt," Saitou said snidely.  
  
"Hmph...you corrupt government officers will never learn," retorted the ninja still assuming his stance.  
  
Misao got to her feet quickly to stare up at Saitou's tall figure. "The Kishuu Ninja Clan wanted to pick a fight with us, so we fought against them before you came."  
  
"Fighting and losing badly, eh? Is this the usual Oniwabanshuu plan, Itachi- musume?" remarked Saitou, making a rude jest.  
  
"Don't call me that!" Misao shouted at him, waving her arms around like a mad girl.  
  
Okina's voice could be heard in the distance. "Misao-chan! I found him!"  
  
Okina and a man clad in a tan kimono hastily ran to the scene that Saitou interrupted. The rest of the Oniwabanshuu hurried to stand near Saitou and Misao.  
  
"Aoshi-sama! Where the hell were you?!" Misao screamed at the man clad in the tan kimono.  
  
The man brushed some of his raven locks away from his ice blue eyes to glower at the enemy ninjas. "Gomen nasai, I did not know we were expecting company tonight."  
  
"That's Shinomori Aoshi, he was once the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu but he was replaced by Misao when he disappeared for a while," Soujiro explained to Yuki who watched attentively.  
  
"I was waiting to fight you, Shinomori, I didn't want to fight your little whore. So c'mon!" proclaimed the okashira of the Kishuu Ninjas.  
  
Misao had another kunai in hand and was ready to vent her fury but she was stopped by the calming touch of her Aoshi-sama. He shook his head at her and stepped in front of her almost like a sentinel.  
  
"Please fight some other time and some other place because I don't want to deal with anymore resident complaints in this district," said Saitou sarcastically.  
  
"Shut up, government pig!" the Kishuu ninja shouted, "We fight here and now, Shinomori!"  
  
"You fight now and you fight me," Saitou said coldly. He stepped forward and extended his right hand towards the ninja while pulling back his left forearm and holding his sword parallel to the ground, the blade resting in the area between his index finger and thumb. He leaned back a bit and grinned wolfishly at the ninja, beckoning him to attack. Soujiro recognized this: Saitou was in his Gatotsu stance.  
  
The ninja grinned back but backed away to the comfort of the Kishuu Ninjas. Then he muttered something that sounded like "Mibu no ookami."  
  
"I'm not here to fight you, Ookami," he said in a more audible voice, "I wanted to fight Shinomori but I shall wait for that moment."  
  
Suddenly, the Kishuu ninjas retreated to the roof of the Aoiya and leaped over it to hop from roof to roof to escape the Oniwabanshuu district. Soujiro and Yuki gazed up into the night to watch them escape.  
  
Yuki grabbed Soujiro's arm and pulled him into the direction of the alley. "Let's go after them!"  
  
They sprinted through the alley and into different streets, glimpsing up at the buildings every now and then to see where the Kishuu Ninjas were leaping to.

- - - -

Sorry that Saitou's Gatotsu was a little blurry, I couldn't quite remember how exactly that technique looked like. If you find any errors, please feel free to correct me! :D 


	6. Reminiscence

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.**  
  
**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni  
  
**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language  
  
**Summary:** Yuki finds where she belongs, and her past unfolds.  
  
_She finally found where she belonged,  
But she would soon remember the lamentable song,  
Memories can be so cruel and so distant,  
A painful story is quite reminiscent._

**_Chapter 6: Reminiscence_**  
  
Soujiro noticed that Yuki's head was damp with perspiration while they sprinted through the abandoned streets. It made him wonder why they wanted to follow the enemies of the Oniwabanshuu.  
  
"Yuki-chan, why do you want to follow them?" he asked, through panting.  
  
"I think...I think I used to know them," she gasped.  
  
He sighed as he mused about the fatigue that was apparent by Yuki's facial expression. He knew this was important to her, so without thinking anymore, he suddenly fell behind her in running. He clasped her shoulders and her legs in a quick motion and lifted her thin body up into his arms. She looked wildly at him and he returned her look with a pleasant smile. His nimble feet then seemed to cause them to zoom through the streets, dust and debris flying up in their treaded path behind them. Yuki suddenly laughed as Soujiro leaped over a rock, not breaking or slowing his stride.  
  
"You are truly amazing, Seta-san. How is it that you're running so fast?" she laughed.  
  
Soujiro grinned at her. "I would be running much faster if you didn't weigh me down!"  
  
Yuki giggled and smacked his head playfully causing a chuckle to escape from Soujiro's mouth. He could be almost invisible while sprinting if he had started his rhythmical foot-tapping before breaking into a wild run but he did not need to be running that fast while carrying the kunoichi; one mistake would cause a fatal accident for them.  
  
Soujiro observed that he was right beside the ninjas that hopped over roofs in a few minutes. Most of the ninjas were yelling at their Okashira and pointing at Soujiro who carried Yuki. The ninjas then jumped in their way, causing Soujiro to skid violently to a stop. He slipped on the dusty ground, falling on his behind while Yuki was uninjured because she sat on top of him. Soujiro knew that his slippers and socks were mutilated because pain swelled in his feet. He looked up at the ninjas, his blue gaze illustrated disorientation while Yuki's dark hues showed curiosity.  
  
One Kishuu kunoichi spoke in a rude tone. "What the hell are you?! Some kind of speed demon?!"  
  
The okashira shoved the kunoichi out of the way, staring at Yuki while he did so. He muttered to her softly. "I thought...you died."  
  
Yuki said nothing to him, she only returned his stares with confusion.  
  
"Satsuki, you don't remember me...do you?" he asked in a gentle voice, holding a hand clad in black tekko out to her.  
  
She touched his hand and rose off of Soujiro. She looked into his fiery brown eyes, as if the amnesia clouds in her mind were being pushed away by the wind of memory. Her soft tiers of pale pink slowly lifted into a smile, both of her dainty hands gripped his large hand firmly then. Brimming tears her eyes obscured her vision, and gave a soft edge to her vacant eyes.  
  
"Mamoru, I missed you so much."  
  
- - - -  
  
_Darkness had engulfed the vicinity when the sun had set and the day had died. The twinkling stars and the glowing moon were the only signs of light in the black sky. The Kishuu Shinobi Headquarters in Kyoto, Japan was stirring with activity that diminished the peace in the quiet district. The air was acrid with smoke from the torches that lit up the vicinity of the Kishuu HQ, while yelling and laughing could be heard from the large building unit. Inside one of the buildings, (the dojo to be exact) was a young kunoichi who wrote on parchment with a brush and ink. Yoko, the kunoichi, wrote swiftly and effectively on the parchment as her dark hair cascaded over her eyes, trying to make her writing incoherent. She swept the hair back in an agitated way and tossed her brush down near the dying lamp on the wood floor where she sat on. Her lips puckered into a sort of kiss but steady, slow moving air moved out of her mouth and onto the paper to help dry the ink. She was in charge of the ninja status reports and different assignments offered by wealthy, corrupt gentlemen and she felt that this report was quite late. Yoko knew that neither her okashira nor his favorite kunoichi would be pleased at this. Then she lay down on the wood in exhaustion, waiting for her annoying runner to come slide open the dojo doors like an excited child.  
  
While almost dreaming, her eyes opened suddenly at the anticipated sliding of the doors. She sat up and her gaze immediately fell on her runner. He grinned at her, but the grin looked uneasy and reluctant. She sighed while her hand covered her sweating forehead. "What now?"  
  
"Gomen nasai, Yoko-san, but they were making love and not really paying attention to the words you told me to tell them," he said with his hands behind his back.  
  
Yoko grimaced as she felt a headache overwhelming her. "They didn't say anything back to you, did they?"  
  
"Not really, Yoko-san. But I did catch some words through the loud moaning and groaning," said the runner while musing and smiling, "Mamoru-sama said that he wants YOU to report back to him and not me."  
  
"But I'm not a runner! Go back there and tell him that!" she complained through frustration and agony.  
  
"I wish I could, Yoko-san, but you'd better get that report to him now before he's done with Satsuki-sama," the runner said in a low, frightened voice.  
  
Yoko rose from the floor and swept the imaginary dust off of her clean, white yukata. She had dressed to go to sleep but Mamoru, her okashira, wanted a new status report on the injuries that took place on the assignment that was about the infiltration of the Meiji government police station in Kyoto. Her runner smiled as he watched her hand pick up the parchment. Then she sauntered to him, stopping in the doorway to look at him.  
  
"Would you like me to come with you, Yoko-san?" he asked politely.  
  
"No, but arigatou. I'll go talk to Mamoru-sama," she replied through a sigh.  
  
She left her runner lingering in the doorway as she sauntered towards the building that contained Mamoru's room. The journey did not take her long, but she dreaded every step she took that lead her closer to his domain. She slid open the door when she arrived there and trudged up the steps dejectedly. Noises directed her to where exactly in the building Mamoru was. What was unusual was he was not in his bed chamber with Satsuki, the so-called "Kishuu Shinobi no Bara"; it seemed they were in his office. Yoko shuddered at the thought of sex in an office, vivid visions flooded her mind as she knocked politely on the office door.  
  
"Mamoru-sama, it's me Yoko...I have the report you wanted."  
  
She shut her eyes in irritation as a scream erupted from the room instead of a reasonable response. She brooded whether or not he would answer her; she knew better than to leave without giving him the report, since it was already late. She boldly dropped the paper on the floor area below the door, and turned to leave.  
  
"Mamoru-sama, if you're wondering where the report is, I left it on your door step."  
  
With that said, Yoko left the building to go to her own bed chamber near the dojo to sleep.  
_  
- - - -  
  
_"Yoko was such a nice, respectable status reporter until she did this!" Mamoru yelled at Satsuki as he read Yoko's report while they were readying themselves to rest in his bed chamber, "Why didn't she hand it to me like she used to?"  
  
Satsuki brushed her hair gently and grinned at her lover. "I don't think she wanted to interrupt us."  
  
"Yeah...and what about that pathetic fool of a runner?! At least Yoko knew to leave when we didn't respond," said Mamoru in an annoyed tone.  
  
Satsuki shrugged and set her brush down on their bed. "Who has the mission for tonight?"  
  
Mamoru looked at her in a puzzled way. "I have no idea...Yoko didn't put that in her report did she?"  
  
"I don't believe so, I should go check with her," suggested Satsuki.  
  
"If you really wish to do so," Mamoru said and then he lay down on the sleeping mat.  
  
Satsuki leaned over him to kiss him gently before she wrapped her yukata around her nude body and left the room.  
  
_- - - -  
  
_Satsuki barged into the bed chamber of the female ninjas and practically tore Yoko's clothing as she wrenched her off of the sleeping mat. She grinned malevolently at Yoko as her fingers gripped onto the status reporter's yukata violently.  
  
"Has anyone gone for tonight's mission?" Satsuki whispered fiercely. The other ninjas that were slumbering had soon awoken to the sight of Satsuki grabbing Yoko.  
  
"Yes... two ninjas... are gone: Kagemaru... Kentaro," answered Yoko while gasping for air.  
  
"Hmph, they're only going to screw this mission up," she said while she threw Yoko back down on her mat, "I'll go on this mission too."  
  
"Okay...do what you wish, Satsuki-sama. But remember that you have to go to the police station and obtain criminal information!" Yoko called after Satsuki as she was leaving.  
  
_- - - -  
  
_"Bara-sama!" Kagemaru and Kentaro said in unison when they noticed Satsuki entering the room of the officer they had killed. The smell of blood and death reeked in the small room.  
  
"Did Yoko-san send you on this mission as well?" Kentaro asked as he eyed Satsuki graceful movements toward them.  
  
Satsuki grinned at them and brushed the hair out of her pretty eyes. "No, I wanted to come along."  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, we have the criminal reports!" Kagemaru shouted while holding up sheets of parchment with bad hand-writing on them.  
  
"Shh!" Satsuki put a finger to her lips, "Don't talk so loud, you've gotten this far so don't screw this mission to Hell."  
  
"Sorry, Bara-sama, here...you can hold the information, Yoko-san would probably trust you more than us," said Kentaro and he grabbed the sheets away from his partner to hand them to Satsuki.  
  
She grinned maliciously again while looking at the paper. "Mission success!"  
  
"Not quite," said a voice from the open door of the room.  
  
The Kishuu Ninjas turned to face two officers wielding Japanese swords. Satsuki recognized one of the officers, that was the one the injured ninjas had described to Yoko. He was quite tall and thin, with narrow eyes and a thin nose. The Mibu no ookami: Saitou Hajime. The other one that stood near Saitou was a lot younger and one that Satsuki never saw before.  
  
"Well look at this Shirou, wasn't this the group that was here the other night?" Saitou asked the officer standing next to him in a taunting voice.  
  
"I think so Saitou-san, but we'll get rid of them again like we did before."  
  
"Kagemaru, Kentaro, stand back...I'll handle this," she said while steadying her ninja katana.  
  
She sprinted into a losing battle, while her ninjas stood back, yelling encouragements.  
_  
- - - -  
  
_Kagemaru and Kentaro were lucky to leave the station with their beloved Bara-sama in their arms. They wanted to clutch her both but Kentaro ended up being the one to carry her. He carried her morosely, as if he were getting ready to bury her in the ground that was soon muddy because of the crying sky above. But they did not want Satsuki's grave to be watery and murky, she deserved a grand tomb in their eyes. She was the best kunoichi their clan had and she was also the lover of their okashira, but all that would be gone soon. They looked at each other solemnly, they did have a message for Mamoru-sama but how could they say it? It was quite vivid in their minds. Shirou said, "We're only going to let you live to tell your okashira that he should steer away from government issues." They saw it bizarre that Saitou let them live, but Shirou was begging for his mercy like a beggar begging for bread. Shirou valued life, unlike the ex-samurai of the Shinsengumi.  
  
The ninjas' eyes brightened a bit when they noticed the sign of isha or doctor on a nearby building. They sprinted towards it and entered to give Satsuki's badly injured body to the doctor who seemed quite surprised. When they paid the doctor and left, they decided to do something drastic.  
  
"What's the point of living if Bara-sama's not going to be the same again?" Kentaro asked his partner.  
  
"Yeah, she might be dead after this night and Mamoru-sama won't want to hear that from us. He'll kill us even if we tell him that we failed our mission badly, even with Bara-sama's help!" Kagemaru yelled over the rain that fell on them.  
  
"Hara-kiri is the only way out of this. Maybe we'll see Bara-sama in the Land of the Dead, so she won't be lonely," proclaimed Kentaro.  
  
Kagemaru nodded and gripped the hilt of his katana tightly as they walked to an alley near the doctor's building. There, they stabbed their stomachs with the sharp blades of their swords, committing hara-kiri over the shame they experienced while carrying the silent body of Satsuki. Unfortunately for them, Satsuki died only to remain in the body of a girl who was like a blank slate. A girl who had no memories.  
_  
- - - -

Sad chapter, yeh? Anyways, I had to keep it short since this would probably exceed seven pages if I kept describing what happened in each scene. I hope you enjoyed this chapter about Memory Lane! ;D


	7. Rejection

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.**  
  
**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni  
  
**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language  
  
**Summary:** Mamoru and the other Kishuu Ninjas do not accept Soujiro as Yuki's friend, and want him to leave her world forever.  
  
_Her family wanted to reject him,  
Since they only saw a samurai who was cold and dim,  
But he was her new love,  
The one they call "the sword from above"._

__  
  
**_Chapter 7: Rejection_**  
  
Soujiro nodded and listened attentively to Yuki's past which was told in the perspectives of Mamoru and Yoko in the Kishuu HQ. While listening, he could not help but remember what Yuki had said to him by the lake. He remembered her saying that her clan assumed she was weak, so they left her. That was not the case, in the rurouni's mind. He fathomed that it was only a misunderstanding and a lack of common sense from Kagemaru and Kentaro.  
  
"I knew that when they did not return, they all must have committed hara- kiri," explained Yoko, gripping her cup of tea tightly as she spoke to the liquid.  
  
"If Kagemaru and Kentaro did return after failing and losing Satsuki, I would have killed them myself," Mamoru said scornfully.  
  
"So you all thought I committed hara-kiri as well?" Yuki asked in disbelief as if she valued her life too much which was unlike the honor of the shinobi.  
  
Yoko and Mamoru nodded solemnly, averting their eyes away from hers. Soujiro could only sigh; he thought his input was unneeded in this situation.  
  
"That's why you didn't look for me, huh?" continued Yuki, tears brimming in her eyes.  
  
"What were we supposed to do? We don't have a damn psychic here!" shouted Mamoru, his fist slammed down on the table causing some cups of tea to fall off.  
  
Yoko interrupted before Mamoru could continue in his furious voice. "Gomen nasai! Please don't be upset, we're glad we found you now."  
  
"You didn't find me, Soujiro-kun did," said Yuki indignantly.  
  
The ninjas turned to Soujiro who was sweating from nervousness since his name was mentioned and he would probably be questioned.  
  
"Where did you find her?" Yoko interrogated, her eyebrow raised.  
  
"I met her in the streets," he said vaguely with an uneasy smile on his face.  
  
"He saved me from Meiji government officers, and said he'd stay with me until I regained my memory," Yuki explained.  
  
"Now that you have found where you belong, you don't need this samurai around anymore," said Mamoru.  
  
"What?" Yuki looked at her former lover in surprise.  
  
Mamoru nodded to the ninjas standing by the door of his office. They approached quickly and grabbed Soujiro's arms, lifting him up like a toy.  
  
Yuki rose from her seat. "Hey! Leave him alone!"  
  
"Get him out of here...now," Mamoru ordered.  
  
The ninjas, who were still clinging on to Soujiro's struggling body, left the office with Yuki closely behind.  
  
- - - -  
  
Soujiro was thrown a couple of feet onto the hard, dusty ground by the ninjas that carried him to the entrance of the Kishuu HQ. He heard Yuki's screams as his head throbbed in pain, blood oozing from his temples. He looked up to see the entrance being closed off by the ninjas, while Yuki's voice was fading.  
  
"Soujiro-kun, don't worry! I'll see you again!" she had shouted before he could no longer hear her.  
  
After lying down to ease the pain, he rose from the ground and swept the dust off of his hakama. He wondered whether he should try to knock down the door or just leave Yuki forever. He hoped her words were true; he did want to see her again. And he could not understand why they couldn't be friends, was it because he wasn't a ninja? What was the ninja and samurai problem anyways? Soujiro frowned and kicked a lump of dust away from his feet; he knew he wouldn't be considered a samurai. Rurouni was a better word for his status.  
  
Soujiro sighed and figured that he should go. So he sauntered away from the Kishuu district, heading to the crowded merchant stalls in the busy district of Kyoto. He trudged instead of walked, his feelings felt fine but he wondered why ninjas must be so...possessive at times. Misao and her group weren't like that, maybe Mamoru is just an ahou. Soujiro smiled a little at thinking of Mamoru as an ahou, but he knew in the corner of his mind that he would get the hell pounded out of him if the okashira heard his muses.  
  
He stopped at a rice stall and sat down, not wanting to order anything. The man who owned the stall looked over at him.  
  
"What'll it be, kid?" he asked, a rice scooping utensil in his hand.  
  
"Umm...I'll get back to you on that," answered Soujiro.  
  
"Can't sit here forever," the man muttered and then looked over to another customer to ask her the same thing he asked Soujiro when he first arrived.  
  
The girl asked for green tea, before sitting down next to Soujiro. She eyed him strangely.  
  
"Weren't you at the Aoiya before, talking to Misao-chan about Himura Kenshin and Shishio Makoto?" she asked quietly, hoping that the rice stall owner did not hear.  
  
"Hai," Soujiro said and then glanced at her, "You're in the Oniwabanshuu aren't you?"  
  
The girl nodded and laughed, her bangs bounced on her pretty visage. "My name's Omasu and you're Seta Soujiro right?"  
  
Soujiro's faced her fully then, revealing the bruises and the blood running down his face. "Hai, nice to see you again, Omasu-san."  
  
She gasped. "What happened to your face?"  
  
"Some of those Kishuu ninjas threw me out of their HQ. Y'know, Yuki finally found out that she belonged with them," he said with a light chuckle.  
  
The mug of green tea was set in front of Omasu, but she didn't even notice it, she was too occupied with staring at Soujiro in a puzzled way. "Let's get you back to the Aoiya, you can stay there for a while."  
  
"Domo arigatou, Omasu-san. I hope your okashira won't have a problem with that," said Soujiro, touching the hot blood on his cheek.  
  
- - - -  
  
Soujiro awoke from an uneventful slumber when he heard his name being called softly. He sat up in his futon to look at Shinomori Aoshi, clad in the usual tan kimono.  
  
"Are you feeling any better?" Aoshi asked a slip of paper was in his large hand.  
  
"Hai, a little," Soujiro said with a smile.  
  
"I have this note for you, it doesn't say who it's from," said Aoshi, then he sauntered deliberately towards the rurouni and dropped the paper on his lap. Without another word, the ex-okashira quietly left the room and slid the door shut.  
  
Soujiro brooded about Aoshi as he unfolded the paper, and then read the illegible words scrawled on it. It read:  
  
Soujiro-kun, Meet me by the trees near the Kishuu HQ at noon. I want to see you again, even if it's only for a short time.  
  
He sighed as he folded it up, and then tucked it inside his sky blue kimono. He slid off of his comfortable futon to slip on his plain slippers. His body ached, but his wounds were wrapped in bandages so they did not bother him as much. Soujiro left the room and raced to the restaurant area, since he heard the noises of the Oniwabanshuu from there.  
  
"What time is it?" he asked Okina, who stood by Omasu as she asked a customer what kind of food they wanted.  
  
Okina's brows furrowed. "I think it's around noon, what's the problem Seta- san?"  
  
When Soujiro heard those words, he sped out of the Aoiya and headed to where he needed to be to see Yuki again. He hoped that he could get there before she left, thinking that he wouldn't show up.


	8. Shifting Emotions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.  
**  
**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni  
  
**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language  
  
**Summary:** Yuki tells Soujiro exactly how she feels about him and something surprising happens afterwards.  
  
_There are certain things one cannot forget,  
There are obvious feelings one cannot regret,  
Although everyone sees certain lovers as insane,  
They would never let words turn their love into pain._

__   
  
**_Chapter 8: Shifting Emotions_**He ran like the Tenken should, to the girl who was waiting for him near trees he could never miss. Sweat dampened his face and he quickly brushed it aside as he arrived at his destination, looking around and whispering his friend's name loudly. Soujiro felt his kimono being yanked from behind, and his back slammed into a tree. To his surprise, he was face-to-face with Yuki.  
  
"Soujiro-kun! I thought you would never come," she whispered as she embraced him quickly while he leaned against the tree.  
  
Soujiro smiled pleasantly as he hugged her back. "Gomen, I woke up late."  
  
"I'm just glad you're here. I wanted to see you and that baka Mamoru drove me crazy last night!" she shouted, but in a low tone as if they were being watched.  
  
Soujiro looked at her in a puzzled way. "What did he do?"  
  
"He wanted me to sleep in his bed last night, and I kindly refused. But he just kept asking me over and over," Frustration rose in Yuki's voice as she held Soujiro's hands in her own.  
  
"So, did he eventually force you to sleep with him?" asked Soujiro.  
  
Yuki grinned at him. "No, I hid from him by lurking in the kunoichi bed chamber."  
  
"Wow, sounds like you had a pretty fun night," chuckled Soujiro.  
  
Yuki smirked a little. "I got Yoko-san's runner to follow you, and he said you went with someone all the way to the Aoiya. I should've thought of that but it's a good thing I still have admirers among the Kishuu Ninjas."  
  
"Omasu-san, one of Misao-chan's ninjas, invited me to stay there since she knew I had no where else to go," said Soujiro, in a morose tone.  
  
"Now I'm starting to like the Oniwabanshuu better than my own clan," laughed Yuki.  
  
Soujiro giggled at her remark while light zephyrs passed by them, giving the air a tranquil lightness like when they were near the lake. Then, they were silent for a moment. Soujiro still leaned against the rough tree while Yuki held his hands as if she would never let them go. It seemed they never wanted to let this moment go. The beauty of the nature around them and the sense of being alone with someone you loved was the only thing in their careless muses.  
  
"Soujiro-kun, how do you feel about me?" Yuki finally asked, shattering the silence.  
  
"What do you mean?" Soujiro smiled at her, as if he already knew the answer.  
  
"Well...y'know, do you see me as a friend or more than a friend?"  
  
"Let's say...I see you as more than a friend."  
  
Yuki smiled at him. "I feel the same way, Soujiro-kun."  
  
Gently, she leaned in towards him to kiss him lightly. Red was rushing through Soujiro's cheeks.  
  
Yuki's brows furrowed. "Why're you embarrassed?"  
  
"I've...never been kissed by a girl before," he said, sounding immature.  
  
"Then I'll kiss you again, so you can be kissed twice and get used to it," she said with a giggle. So she once again brushed her lips against his.  
  
Soujiro's eyes snapped open as a shuriken barely missed his face and punctured the bark of the tree he leaned against. Yuki turned around swiftly, wondering who had caught them. Mamoru stood in the shade provided by the tree tops; an angry and ashamed look was on his strong face.  
  
"Satsuki, how could you do this to me?" he said slowly and vehemently. Yoko and a group of ninjas stood behind him, looking quite surprised.  
  
"Mamoru, I don't love you anymore. Why can't you understand that?" Yuki asked, standing in front of Soujiro like a sentinel.  
  
Mamoru said nothing, but the ninjas behind him began to advance towards them. Soujiro grabbed Yuki's arm, pulling her away from them.  
  
"Let's get out of here!" he shouted at her. She nodded and they ran through the small forest, with Kishuu Ninjas chasing them.  
  
- - - -  
  
Soujiro and Yuki were surrounded, since her "loyal admirer" the runner had told Yoko of the note and she had arranged ninjas to hide deep in the forest. Soujiro could have had a chance with his broken sword, but he was weaponless since he stupidly left the remains of the Kikuichimonji Norimune propped by the futon at the Aoiya. He wondered what he would do since there was no way out. He was not much without a sword, but Yuki was. Unfortunately, she was greatly outnumbered by people who shared her style of fighting.  
  
Yoko and a group of kunoichi advanced on the two, their weapons ready. Yuki managed to attack some of them while Soujiro blocked their violent shots, but was slashed in the back by one who lingered behind him. He fell to the ground, and Yuki stepped in front of him to prevent anymore attacks from hurting him. Yoko grabbed Yuki easily and then she eyed Mamoru for new orders. He drew a line across his thick, muscular neck with his finger and nodded to her. Yoko pushed Yuki away from her and before she could fall on Soujiro, Yoko used her ninja katana to slash Yuki's throat. Blood splashed up and floated through the air, and then fell after an eternity as Yuki's corpse landed on top of the rurouni. Soujiro took advantage of everyone watching the death and grabbed a hold of Yuki's body to rush out through a group of unwary ninjas. He felt a shuriken puncture the slash on his back but he ran, allowing his feet to let him fly through the ground.  
  
- - - -  
  
After running non-stop for a while, Soujiro collapsed with Yuki's body on top of him on the verdant grass a little outside of the forest. He panted and noticed a digging utensil near the base of a tall tree. He gripped with his bloody fingers and sighed as he looked at Yuki's motionless body.  
  
"Yuki, why did you save me?" he whispered to the body as he dragged it to the base of the tree that had the tool.  
  
Before leaving, Soujiro smiled ruefully at Yuki. Then he sauntered back into the forest, ready to go ninja hunting. 


	9. Requiem

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.  
**  
**Fanfic Title:** Epic of a Rurouni  
  
**Genre:** Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
**Rating:** PG-13 for violence and mild language  
  
**Summary:** Soujiro hunts down Mamoru and the Kishuu Ninjas to avenge Yuki's death. In the end, he finds the truth he sought for so long.

_He felt helpless and scared again,  
She saved him only to allow her life to end,  
As he watched her take her final breath,  
The clock of life chimed at the hour of Death._**_Chapter 9: Requiem_**  
  
As he walked, the world around him seemed gray. The colors of nature and the beauty he had seen faded like bright garments that were washed too many times. Soujiro felt sorrow in his broken heart and his broken mind. And he knew what must be done; he knew that he would have to break his vow of never killing again. How could he value the lives of those that take lives themselves? It was only fitting that everything should end this way. Many lives for one precious life: the life of his love.  
  
Soujiro stopped as he was thinking of what to do, and then he looked down at his hakama. He ripped the base of the hakama, so the pleated trousers would end at the bottom of his knees. If he was going to run like hell, nothing should get in the way to cause a fatal accident. He tossed the garments down and listened to the sounds about him. Something was coming. He gazed up warily to the tree tops, at the ninjas that pointed down at him. They jumped from their places to surround him once again. He watched them close in on him while he lifted his right foot slowly so it could fall back down to the ground, again and again in a rhythmic motion. He was starting up his specialty, he was starting the shukuchi. Soujiro knew that he would go slowly at first (200 miles per second or so) and then after some time go a lot faster into the full shukuchi. His legs had not experienced the blurry rush of the shukuchi in a while and he hoped they would be all right in the pressure. He knew that losing was not an option, like when frowning was not an option while he was in the Juppon Gatana and Shishio's greatest warrior.  
  
Suddenly, he was gone from the ninja's sight. They looked around but one was flung to the ground, since his head was bashed in by the digging utensil Soujiro swung as he ran like a mad man. Dirt, rocks, grass, and leaves flew into the air violently as the rurouni rushed through the vicinity, knocking down ninjas as he sprinted by them. Yoko gave out a strangled scream as her own throat was cut by the blade of the tool Soujiro held. She fell slowly as he whizzed by her, looking on to other targets. The ninjas could see him every now and then, but he was moving to fast for them to counter him. They frantically threw shurikens about but only managed to hit each other, and Mamoru's shouts could be heard as his head swiveled this way and that to try to decipher where Soujiro would end up next.  
  
When he swung around the tool in a full circle, five ninjas fell. All of them had cut throats. He would cut every last throat since that was Yuki's fate; it was only fair. When most of the ninjas were dead and some were injured and could not endure the horror any longer, Mamoru died swiftly as Soujiro rushed by him. Blood rushed down his neck, as he stumbled down, holding the slash on his neck and choking.  
  
Soujiro stopped to look over his fallen body. "I hope you realized that your last order was a mistake, Mamoru-sama."  
  
When Soujiro had killed the last of the ninjas, he sauntered back to Yuki's body. He reeked of blood and death, and his weapon was scarlet with the luster of blood. He sighed as his feet ached from sprinting and his arms ached from swinging. But he was glad that he had finished his job and still had his own life to keep. Sprinkles of rain fell from the sky as he arrived near Yuki. He knelt by her and then heaved her over his shoulder. He walked to a secluded area and dropped her slowly, as he dug into the ground. The rain lightly continued as he dug a sort of pit in the ground, for Yuki's burial. Thoughts swam in his head as he dug monotonously.  
  
He did not really find a suitable truth while with Yuki but he hoped the thing he learned could be considered a truth. He came to the conclusion that certain memories should be hidden forever. Pain that might not be endured can erupt from those memories and it's best to look to the future for new memories. Soujiro smiled a little as he lifted up Yuki to drop her into the pit, he thought ruefully that she should have listened to him and tried to make new memories. The past should be left buried, like Yuki's body and Soujiro's love for her. When she was in the pit, he covered it with the dirt that he had dug up. The rain was pouring down harder now, as if the angels in the sky were crying for all those that died on this fateful day. He knew that this day was just as fateful as the day that he met Yuki, which he should forget since his new truth taught him that. But how could he forget if it's a part of how he came up with the truth? He sighed in a sobbing way as he saw the flaws in his truth. Unfortunately, he wasn't as intelligent as Himura Kenshin or his dear Shishio Makoto to find a truth with no flaws. As he thought about it, he saw the flaws in their truths as well, so he did not feel so ashamed.  
  
Thunder roared through the sky as lightning shook the grayness of the clouds, while Soujiro stared down at Yuki's grave. He smiled as rain poured down his face, reminding him of when he killed his cruel family. He thought it ironic that the rain spilling down his face could once again hide his tears. In his tired mind, he heard Shishio laughing at him because he cried and the back of his hand rose to brush the tears away. More tears flowed down though, non-stop like the rain around him. He was not ashamed to cry now like he was all those times with Shishio. He did not care if he was weak because those that don't cry could never kill him. And he did not care if he killed people because those he would kill would always deserve their fate. He did not care if he remembered all the times with Yuki and the memories he had with her, because he wanted to keep them in his heart and cherish them forever since she was the one who taught him the new truth he had engraved next to Himura's and Shishio's.**END**- - - -  
  
Can you all guess what truth Soujiro learned? There really isn't any right or wrong answer, I just wanted to see what everyone got out of this chapter. There were a lot of tenets talked about but the one Soujiro learned is only in the minds of the readers and could not be found in the text of the story. Also, I see how this story can be considered a tragedy but it will always be a sad little action/adventure/romance about how Soujiro loved someone who was already long dead. ;D 


End file.
